Electric switch



M. GUETT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28.1918.

Ptemed Jan. 13,1920.

.Z' n vE'r/ far A fzarne UNITED sTA Es PATENT OFFICE.

MONROE GUETT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOH TO THE HART & HEGEHAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1918. Serial No. 236,978.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I, Mormon GUETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric switches. The invention as will be understood can be incorporated in switches of various types. I have several motives in view, one of them being the provision of means by which a proper engagement can be obtained between a contact member and a connector, this en; gagement in fact being a superficial or area one as distinguished from a line one. Another motive I have in view. is the provision of a simple and inexpensive way of associatin a contact with its carrier. be understood the improvements may be incorporated in electric switches of different characters. To enable those skilled in the art to practise the invention I have shown a convenient form of embodiment thereof in the drawings accompanying and form ing part of thepresent specification. In the following description I will set forth fully the structure thus shown. I am in no sense restricted thereto; I may depart therefrom in different ways within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description. In the showing made the invention is incorporated. in a rotary snap switch.

Referring to the drawings:

Fi ure 1 is a plan or face view of such a switc with the connector in the on relation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a supporting body and contacts carried thereby. 1

Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a rear face view, and

Fig. 5 an inside face view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 66 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figs. 7 and 8 are outside and inside face views of a contact member.

. Fig. 9 is a rear face view of the upper portion of a supporting body and a contact member carried thereby.

As will I Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of ,Fig. 9, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, Figs. 2 to 9 inclusive being on much larger scales than Fig. 1.

As I have already noted the improvements may be incorporated in various kinds of switches; I have shown them embodied, however, in a rotary snap switch. This type of switch includes a base such as that denoted by 2, which is generally made of some suitable insulating material. The base has extending from it a turnable spindle as 3. furnished at its outer end with a handle as 4. The spindle also supports a connector such as 5. This connector is adapted. to cooperate with wire contact members as 6 and 7 in which are actually incorporated the inventive features of the case. The connector 5 is shown as being in the on relation in F i 1, the switch at this time closing its in ividual circuit. By disengaging the connector 5 through the turning of the spindle 3 under the action of the handle 4, the connector will be moved approximately to right angles to the position which it is shown as occupying, to thus break the circuit. Obviously the invention does not concern itself with points such as these, so I have not deemed itnecessary to further illustrate or describe the same.

I will assume that the wire connecting and contact means shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 10 inclusive is that on the left in Fig. 1, being a duplicate of that on the right, so that when the parts constituting the wire connecting and contact means 6 is described fully, this description will aply to the companion means. Said Wire connecting and contact means comprises in its make-up a bracket member or post such as that denoted in a general way by 8 of some suitable material as sheet brass. This bracket member in turn involves the body 9 provided at its sides with outwardly extending companion and parallel flanges 10. The body 9 in the present case is not fiat, being practically of serpentine or roughly speaking of B-form in transverse section, the intermediate part of the body being channeled on the inner face longitudinally thereof and correspondingly bowed or bulged on the other face while the lateral portions of the body Where they unite with thetwo side flanges are bowed on their inner faces and channeled on their outer faces as at 10 (see Fig. 1 and better in Fig. 2.)

Into the outer face of the body 9 is shown as tapped a screw as 11 around which may be placed the bared end of a lead or wire as 12 (Fig. 1) complemental to the lead 12' on the other side of the switch. The flanges 10 are provided with lateral feet 01' legs as 13 fitted against the upper flat face of the base 2 and held thereto in some desirable manner as by rivets 14 (see Fig. 1). It is obvious that by turning the screw 11 to the right, if its thread be a right one as shown, the wire or the bared end thereof can be brought solidly against and in electrical connection with the body 9.

Each of the bracket members 8' carries two contacts as 15 and 16 that shown in Figs. 7. and 8' separate and distinct from anything else, being assumed to be the lower contact of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 for instance. If I describe, therefore, one of the contacts as 15, this will apply to the other. Said contact 15 is made of some suitable conducting material such as copper stock and comprises the body portion 17, the back edge 18 of which as shown is concaved or of arcua'te formation, although this is not always necessary. The body portion 17 also has in it a slot as 19, the back or rear wall of which as shown is concaved. The terminals of they slot extend practically forwardly or inwardly while the inner wall is also inset between its ends. From the forward part of the body portion 17 extends the U-shaped portion 20, the outer branch of which is practically in the plane of the body portion 17, while the inner branch of which is spaced from said body portion as shown practically in Fig. 3 and also Fig; 5.. The inner branch of this U-shaped part 20 is provided with a laterally extending head 21 which is longitudinally bowed, the concaved portion facing inward. The edge of the head 21 is somewhat convexed, although this may not always be necessary.

Said contact 15 as might also be considered has a main, mounting portion or shank 23 from which extend forwardly the two arms 24 and 25, these arms being connected by a zigzag or serpentine portion 26 from approximately the central part of which, the outer branch of the U-shaped portion 20 already mentioned, extends. As a matter of fact said shank 23, its arms 24 and 25, the zigza or serpentine connecting portion 26 and t e U-shaped part 20 with its terminal or contact 21 are integral. This zigzag or serpentine portion being springy acts as a hinge or flexible part, lending sufiicient movement to the terminal 21 to insure the superficial or area engagement between said head or terminal and a connector as 5 or equivalent associated therewith.

.The cooperating contacts 15 and 16 are set for example in grooves as 27 and 28 which can be produced for instance by saw-kerfing the bracket member 8 crosswise thereof. Said grooves or kerfs are intersected by the two opposite side and parallel and longitudinally disposed channels 10 in the back of the body 9. I do not rely upon the drive or fit of. the contacts 15 and 16 in said grooves or kerfs to hold them solidly and substantia-ll in place against accidental movement, ut prefer to provide more positive means for this purpose, for instance, and as shown, I may bend or deflect laterally as at 29 the body portions 17 as shown in both Figs. 4 and 9. The deflected or bent portions are projected into the channels 10 through-the action of a suitable tool.

What I claim is: 4 1. A contact for electric switches, comprising a main portion, arms extending from the main portion, a flexible connection between the arms, a terminal, and a flexible piece connecting the terminaland the flexible connection.

2. A contact for electric switches, comprising a main portion, arms extending from the main portion, a serpentine connection between the arms, a terminal, and a flexible piece connected with the terminal and also with the serpentine connection, between the arms.

3. A contact for electric switches, comprising a main portion, arms extending from the main portion, a serpentine connection between the arms, and a 'U-shaped portion connecting the terminal and the serpentine connection.

4. A contact for electric switches, comprising a main portion constituting the body of the contact, arms extending from the main portion, a ser entine connection united at its ends integral y with the arms, a terminal having outwardly extending ends, and a U-shaped piece integrally connected with the terminals between the ends thereof and integrally connected with the serpentine connection between the ends thereof.

5. A contact for electric switches comprising a main portion provided with arms, and a serpentine flexible portion connecting the arms, the serpentine portion being provided approximately midway of its length with a U-shaped portion having a head facing inwardly, the head constituting a terminal.

6. A contact for electric switches comprising a main portion provided with arms, a serpentine portion connecting the arms,

and a U-shaped part, one branch of which I is connected directly with the serpentine portion between the ends thereof, and the other branch of which is provided with a terminal.

7. A contact for electric switches comprising a main portion provided with arms, a serpentine portion connecting the arms, and a U-shaped part, one branch of which is connected directly with the serpentine portion between the ends thereof, and the other branch of which is provided with a terminal, all in one piece, and the terminal being concaved with its concaved side facing the main portion.

8. A contact for electric switches comprising a main portion provided with arms and a serpentine flexible portion connecting the arms, the serpentine portion being provided approximately midway of its length with a 'U-shaped portion having a head facing inwardly, the head constituting a terminal and being longitudinally bowed.

9. An electric switch comprising a post having a groove and also having a channel intersecting the groove, and a contact fitted in the groove and deformed in the channel to hold the contact positively in the groove.

10. An electric switch comprising a post having transverse parallel grooves and also having parallel longitudinal grooves, and contacts fitted in the transverse grooves and deformed respectively in the longitudinal grooves to hold the same respectively positively in place.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MONROE GUETT.

Witnesses:

MADELINE E. MUSSGNUG, A. J. BENNETT. 

